And this is a boarding school.
by Emerald Mami
Summary: What happens when X is taken captive in a school of girls? Good question! please r&r!


Normal Robert Franks 2 2001-11-09T21:46:00Z 2001-11-09T21:46:00Z 28 5583 31828 265 63 39087 9.3220 150 0 6 pt 6 pt 0 0 

The girls of Lady Richester's school for the young ladies gathered around the tree to gossip. In fact, they were only five elite classmen, Marcia, Sharon, Dorothy, Jessica, and Eliza. Eliza was by far the youngest and the newest, but no one cared. Gossiping was nothing Lady Richester approved of, but, none of the girls approved of the boarding school, or their teacher. 

"I heard that she was a Maverick Hunter," Marcia shouted. "But not an official one. I heard that her servants were either Mavericks or they were her helpers."

"Tug no think so," Eliza said. It was not unusual for her to say something like that. "Tug hear that servants servants. Tug hear something more juicy."

The girls turned to Eliza. "What?" Marcie asked, just before Sharon scolded Eliza. "Lady Richester hates it when you speak like that."

Jessica giggled. 

"Tug hate name blonde lady give. Tug pick new name. Eliza not Tug. Tug Tug. Tug actress, too."

"Out with it!" Dorothy shouted. A nasty grin spread across "Tug"'s face.

"Tug know that Lady Richester was unofficial hunter. Tug know what happened and why." Eliza looked around. Then, she lowered her voice and dropped her head, as well as the way she spoke. "Lady Richester had a crush at the time, and she wanted to become a hunter. But she had no experience. She was rejected. She began to hate Repliods and Mavericks. She began hunting them both, then making up stories that they were all Mavericks. She now has something more- an obsession."

The girls looked at each other. "How do you know this?" Dorothy asked. 

"Tug talk. Madam get mad, so Tug get to clean her room. Tug stumbled on old diary. Madam nut."

The girls were envious. "Why do you get the luck?" Sharon asked.

"Tug" shook her head. "No luck. Madam's been keeping Maverick/Reploid heads. In her closet. Madam obsession is bad. Very bad. Hero, Tug know. Tug don't want to fall to Sigma because hero's head is in a jar/container thing. Tug scared."

The girls looked at her. "Zero?" Jessica managed to utter. 

Eliza shook her head. "Zero die too many time, Tug think. Zero once Maveick. Now good, but Madam no care."

The girls stopped. They looked at Eliza. "Mega Man X?" they asked in disbelief. 

At that moment, indeed, Lady Richster was figuring out how to lure X to the school. She wanted a good excuse, not a oh-help-the-school-is-getting-blown-apart-by-Maverick excuses, because it wasn't very detailed. And the girls were not going to believe it anyway. She opened a drawer with a small picture of X on it. She sighed, but there was a knock on the door. "Just a minute," she called in a sickening-sweet voice. It was her dangerous voice, one she used to taunt Mavericks. 

She opened the drawer up again and placed the picture inside it. "Come in," she called.

The door opened and her guard, Loraine, stepped in, tossing Eliza and Dorothy and Sharon onto the floor. Marcia and Jessica were shoved in by another guard. 

"Tug in pain," Eliza muttered.

"Excuse me?" Lady Richester asked in a cold voice. Eliza stood up. It was a challenging stand, one she had learned from the drunks in the bar at age three. It worked.

"What do you want us for, Mylady?" she asked, matching Richester's coolness.

The girls followed Eliza's lead. She was extremely brave. No one crossed Richester. No one.

"I have decided to give an assembly about Mavericks. I was wondering if you could help. Why don't you welcome our guest?"

"I was going to attend 'good manners in speaking'," Eliza mumbled.

"That's your problem. I want you five to keep him company. You know, feed, drink, extra."

"Be his guards??!?" Marcia shouted, forgetting at the moment about "When to Speak to Adults". 

"Almost. No fighting, but all of you are good. You take after myself. You will also welcome him by dropping a brick on his head."

"SOME WELCOME!!!" Marcia yelled.

"MARICE!" Lady Richester's voice was extremely loud. "YOU WILL HAVE NO SUPPER TONIGHT! Now, girls, the rest of you will do as I have asked. Marcia, since you don't want to get your hands dirty, you think of how to make him come."

"Are you attempting to murder Dr. Cain?" Eliza asked meekly. It was her wonderful acting at work. "It would be wrong to kill someone."

Lady Richester laughed. "No, Eliza, I'm not going to kill Dr. Cain. I'm going to invite someone else. Marcia, leave a blank at the name. You five are excused."

The girls walked out the door. "We're sunk," Jessica muttered. "That's gotta be X she was talking about."

"How can we stop him from coming?"

"Tug say: We can't. It's hopeless. Unless…"

Marcia caught on. "I'll make a message. To warn him. I don't think he would want to give a speech anyway."

"Make it as lame but as good as you possibly can," Jessica suggested.

Dorothy scowled. "Not likely. I think I had better get our costumes out, girls. We're going to need them."

And so, they each went to work, except for Tug, who was taking the lessons Madam had given her.

"I am a youthful, bright young lady."

"Tug cavewoman. Tug think Director-woman speech sickening."

"Eliza, repeat it again," the director, said. "Then, you can go." Eliza looked out the window. "Tug orphan. Tug no want to be here. Tug hate it here. Tug want leave. Tug pray to leave-gods."

The director sighed. This kid had a good imagination. "Eliza, I want you to write down your gods."

Eliza looked up at the director with a spark in her eyes. She began to write furiously. When she was finished the paper looked like this:

God-god man-god woman-god child-god birth-god 

marriage-god medicine-god helper-god quiet-god friend-god loser-god destruction-god death-god life-god laugh-god magic-god love-god sad-god winner-god chess-god peace-god evil-god good-god 

pain-god thought-god comfort-god and many more

The director looked at each. "You have a god for everything?"

Eliza nodded. "Tug friend Magic-woman tell story of the leader-god, how he all powerful. But many more, if you look. Magic Tug friend."

"So you use magic?"

Eliza nodded. "But Tug better with technology. Faster. Use magic for healing."

"You've never been hurt here," the director commented.

Eliza laughed. "So! Director-woman think Tug no hurt here! Hah! Director-woman have surprise. She be losing job. Pray to Job-god. He give you nice job instead of here!"

That point, Lady Richester came in, having listened to the "gods."

"That is enough! Beatrice! You're fired! ELIZA!!! YOU DO NOT TALK IN 'TUG'!" her eyes got reall wide. "There are no gods!"

Eliza laughed. "Angry-blonde-woman-god visit you. When this happen, Tug get in trouble. Will Tug clean your room again?"

"Yes," she said, smiling coldly. "I think you will. But not today."

The director sank in her chair. Lady Richester left. "You were right," she moaned.

"I have job for you, Tug say. You good cook. You make good wine. You awesome cook. You not teach Tug. Tug tell you a job."

The director raised an eyebrow. "Really? Where?"

Eliza laughed again. "You, in three days, go to MHB. You solve acronym in three days. Say to man exiting, 'X! I know where X is! He be in danger!'"

"He 'be'?"

"He is," Eliza said, correcting herself. "Man say, 'where! Beep woman! Where?' You say, 'Richester.' He run inside, then you taking in for questioning. You say that X in big trouble and could loose his head. Old man say thanks, then ask for wine. You give him some of yours. He give you job. Go!" Eliza commanded. "Three days! Do exactly as Tug say!"

The director ran off, leaving a grim Eliza standing there. "Thank you, Magic-fortune-telling-pot-god. Thank you Job-god. Tug thank."

Marcia watched the director in the hallway, then watched Eliza come out. "What'd you tell her?"

"Magic-fortune-pot-god come to Eliza in cooking, asking for Tug. Tug answer. It say, "Tug! Look in pot!' Tug look, and Tug see future with Maverick Hunter Base."

"What else?" 

"That be it."

Marcia looked at Eliza. "You are crazy, but it is okay. I've finished my wonderful, excellent, top-of-the-notch letter."

"Tug want see."

Marcia read the letter out loud. "Dear X,"

"This is from the Lady Richester's school for young ladies is doing a report on Mavericks. We have heard many gruesome stories, and would ask that you come over and give a prestation about why not to worry so some can sleep at night. We ask that you come in the morning, so the girls can feel safe all day. We would be very apprecitive if you came. Much thanks, Lady Richester."

"Gee, that's a sappy letter."

Zero and X had walked down to get their mail. X, would usally got little, was surprised to see a huge, honking letter. He shrugged and let it slide. "Sure, I'll go."

Zero looked at the envelope. "Can I come? I heard that they have an excellent bar."

"It's a school for girls, Zero," X said. "They don't have a bar. It would be illegal."

X jolted the address in his memory, then through the envelope and letter away, never 

seeing the WARNING!!! DO NOT COME!!! TRAP!!! on the back. 

The next day, four girls waited anixously for X's arrival. They had chosen to wear all black, and it looked good on Eliza, but, she never wanted to wear it. Blackwas the color of Black-god. He did not like her wearing it.

"I don't approve of this," Dorothy wined.

"I don't approve of Lady Richester," Jessica shot back.

"Stop, Tug say. Stop! Tug do what Tug do, then Tug be free and Worship Gods. Tug be happy then."

"Give it a rest," Sharon muttered. "Oh, look, here he comes."

"Everyone got a brick?" Jessica asked. "Tug, those acting lessons had better be worth it."

"Tug ready, Jessica-friend. Tug prayed to Brick-throwing-God and Acting-mad-god. Tug be good."

X walked up the driveway, unexpected of the trap. 

"He obviously paid no heed to our letter, Tug think."

The girls had acted out their parts everyday, asking special premission from Lady Richester to practice. "Make it good," she had snorted. "Tug will," Eliza said, dogeing the Stick of Doom.

"MAVERICK!!!" Eliza spat the words out with hate, then threw the brick down on X's head. Because he wasn't expacting it, it took him off guard, and caused him to fall. He looked up, readied an arm cannon, then watched in shock as a bonde girl threw a brick. "That's for my father!" Jessica cried. "Die, thing of evil!"

"Thing?" Sharon asked quietly, then threw her brick. "You'll kill us all!!"

"Die!" Dorothy shouted, but had to stop and lay down from laughter.

"Evil scum! Subit! We will kill you before you kill us! You are not my father, Darth Vader!"

The last brick hit poor X, who simply would not fight back, into unconicousness. 

" 'Darth Vader'?" Jessica asked incredously. "That was lame."

"Tug could not help Tug's self. Tug had to praise a wearer of black. Besides, Tug think, Lady Richester may thank Tug, for X think it dream. Or, he wake up pissed at us."

"Let's get of of this roof,' Sharon muttered. "I don't like being under Lady Richester's thumb."

"Our, he's here!" Lady Richester's voice rang out through the halls. She came out on the roof. "Is he…"  
"Just like you ordered," Sharron said. 

"This is a happy day for us all!"

"Happy-god visits Madam. It is much repulse." Erika said under her breath. 

A team of girls moved X inside. "This is a happy day!"

Eliza looked at Madam. "Madam, I want to know if I can clean your room again. I feel that last time was not my best effort, and that I should stop speaking Tug."

"Yes, Yes! You can!" Lady Richester was extreamly happy. She clapped her hands and went inside.

"Tug want to throw brick and Madam head. X in trouble. Tug hope that message gets through."

"What message?" Dorothy asked.

"Tug send message to MHB. Tug hope it arrive in time."

"Did you speak Tug?"

"No, Tug send it through ex-English teacher."

"Good going, Tug!"

"Tug argree. Now, Tug believe Tug will get Madam diary so we can warn X, or we find way out."

Dorothy blushed, but only one noticed. And when that one person noticed, everyone noticed.

"Tug ask Dorothy friend why she blush? Could it be because whe has two periods a month? Hmmm?"

Dorothy got even redder. "I…go..out at night, you guys. And I go to the bar at Broadway. We could slip him out that way."

"We're going to slip him into a bar?" Jessica asked. "That is a wonderful plan!"

"Tug! I want you to tell me when the next move we make will happen!" Marice came out. Sharon took off her mask.

"Three days of nothing, Tug see. Oh, Tug see why. X friend, he come and-"

Zero appeared on the street. "Hey, X? X? Where are you-" He saw Eliza.

Eliza looked at him back, knowing at the very best what was going to happen. "Hello? Is X here?"

"He shouldn't be," Eliza called.

"Yes, he should."

"No, he shouldn't be. Did you get the letter?"

"Yes."

"Did you read the back of the letter?"

"No."

"See. It said warning, do not come. Trap. You people are obviously blind. It was in huge writting."

Zero looked at her with utter confusion. "Why are you on the roof?" he asked, suddenly suspicous. "And why are you in black?"

"We were hired to ambush X, against our will. If you want to shoot Lady Richester, you can."

The girls, afraid of the arm cannon, sneaked back. Eliza stood firm. "She's going to get knocked out!" Sharon said.

Zero looked at the bricks. "You bunch of witches," he spat. "You ask a reploid to come so you can ambush him? I bet you scared him off, and now he's questioning his morales! I hate you!" He wieghed the brick with his palm, then threw it. 

"I speak peace, friend," Eliza called before getting hit in the side of the head.

Zero had at first expected them to be Mavericks, but seeing that she went down like a sack of patatoes stoped that thought. "I thought…I thought…"

"Not very hard, Zero! There's a nice bar two blocks down! Drain your sorrow there!" Dorothy shouted. "They have excellent white wine!"

Four of the five girls watched an extreamly confused Zero take off running. 

"Tug," Jessica cried. "Why didn't you back down?"

Eliza whimpered, then whispered, "Make plan. Tug do whatever needed," she breathed, gasping for air. She was silent in words, but her breathing grew ragged. Her head spilled blood.

"Tug," they said in unison.

"How's Eliza?" Marice asked Sharon.

"Not good. But Eliza thought that she would make it, so…I guess we'll include her in the plan."

"Nothing dangerous, of course," Jessica added. "Nothing dangerous at all."

Dorothy sighed. "She knew all along," she muttered. "No wonder she waved when I left. Maybe I told her my adventures under hangover."

The girls looked at Dorothy. "We have got to talk," Marice said. "But not here. Too many voices. Tonight."

And so tonight came. It was dark, scary, and Sharon fell asleep. Her dreams were filled with dancing bricks in tutus. She was glad when Jessica woke her up.

"Dorothy is about to confess her sins," Marice commented dryly. 

Dorothy blushed into the darkness. "The bathroom window is how I get out," she said. "I then lift myself onto the tree."

"How often have you done this?"

"I can't remember. But I do know that the bar is fairly easy to sneak into. You walk in. You put the bill on Lady Richester's bill. She drinks there often."

"I don't want to know why."

Dorothy nodded. "Nor do I. But, who's going to look up Lady Richester's diary?"

The girls looked at one another. "Not me," Jessica said. "I have first watch tomorrow. I don't exactly want to see an angry X."

"Not me," Marica said. "I have to wash these stupid clothes."

"I can," Sharon said. "Besides, Tug said that she could do her part as well. We'll include her."

The girls agreed, and then they went to sleep.

Tug was resting in the medical infermary when a blue figure rushed by. "Tug see man in shiny armor," she said, barly moving her lips.

"Huh? Who said that?"

"Tug throw brick well, eh?"

"You threw the brick?" X asked in disbeleif. "Show yourself!"

"Tug is in plain view. Did you know that X friend throw brick well, too?"

"Zero?" he asked, looking in each bed. When he came to Eliza, she sat up. "Ahh! Don't scare me like that!"

Eliza laughed. "Shiny blue head man scares easily. Stupid. You should be scared of worse, Tug think."

"I am scared of worse things." X looked over the girl with a bandage over her head. "Your name is 'Tug'?"

Eliza nodded. "Tug fine name, shiny blue head think? Eliza not good name. Sicking, Tug think."

"I don't want to call you 'Tug'."

Eliza laughed. "Call Tug Eliza, then, shiny blue head. Tug hit on side of head with brick. Is hard. Tug in much pain. But Tug pray to Getting-hit-on-side-of-head-with-brick-healing-God to help."

" 'Getting-hit-on-side-of-head-with-brick-healing-God'?"

"Shiny blue head got it!"

"Are you alright? Maybe that brick hit you harder than you thought."

Eliza laughed. "Shiny blue head, Tug be bored. So, Tug do stupid thing. Is much fun. I have warning. Do not make prissy lady mad. She obbesed." Eliza lay down and went to sleep.

"With who?" X asked in vain. "With me?"

Eliza let a small smile escape her lips. "Tug agree."

The girls did not expect to be throwing more bricks. But, they found themselves throughing endlessly, forever and forever, until-

"SHARON!!! MEIN GOTT! VAKE UP!" The German teacher awoke Sharon with a start. "You must clean Vady Richester's room today, child."

Sharon nodded. "Okay, but should I not go somewhere?"

"To the closet!" the teacher barely left Sharon enough time to dress, and then grabbed the poor girl's hand. They marched up the stairs, past Jessica, and to Lady Richester's room. 

"No closet!" the teacher said, then held out the cleaning supplies.

Sharon did not clean. She spent the first hour looking for the diary. She looked in drawers, cupbords, and under Lady Richester's bed. Nothing. She did what no one dared to do- open the closet.

The doorway stood in front of her, like a gateway to hell. Which, she figured, was.

She opened the door. Inside was a bunch of shelves. On each shelf were a bunch of jars, neatly stacked, each in its own strange-colored liquid. In each jar was a head.

Sharon gasped, and took a step back.

"Something bothering you, dear?" 

Sharon stopped. Caught. She turned and faced Lady Richester. "I'm sorry…"

Lady Richester took Sharon by surprise. She laughed. "There's an evil in us all, Sharon. You five were to follow in my footsteps." Lady Richester sighed, then watched as Sharon obediantly walked out of the closet.

"You see, my sister was killed by a Meverick. I grew very mad with all Reploids. Very mad. And then there was one…" her voice trailed off. "He showed me a good side of the Reploid race. He comforted me in a choastic time. I have aquired a few habits from him…"

Sharon would have asked who, but she figured it was best to keep silent.

Lady Richester shut the door. "Don't breathe a word of this to anyone. It's my nature to kill."

Sharon nodded, then fled to the infirmary. She sat on Eliza's bed. "You were right, Tug," she sobbed. "We have to get him out of here…"

Eliza was asleep. But a smile spread across her lips anyway. "The doctors say you were healing faster than anyone they've seen," Sharon continued. "And then your strength got zapped."

Eliza barely nodded. "Sharon friend don't know why." 

Sharon gasped. "Tug!" she cried.

"Tug in little pain now. But Tug is ready. Tug have plan, since Tug friends can't come up with one."

A nurse walked by. Eliza sat straight up. "Tug been playing nurses for bunch of fools," she said.

The nurse dropped her clipbord and ran. Eliza began telling the plan.

"I hate black. I will not wear it." Marice's voice was firm. 

"Come on, Marice," Jessica said. "It's for camoflauge. We need to contact MHB and tell them were X is!"

Sharon was silent. "Tug has a plan," she finally said. "Tug says to wait another two days. She says that the Hunters will come and get X, but Lady Richester will try and stop them. We need to free him and help him get to the bar exit, which is on the other side of the building, in the basement."

Dorothy grinned. "A breeze. But if there's a battle, almost choastic."

"There isn't such a word as 'chaostic'."

"I know."

The girls lay down.

Betrice sighed. Here she was, trusting a mental child for a job. She had been making wine, as directed, and she had finally found out where.

As Eliza had said, there was a man walking out.

"X! I know where X is!" she cried. "Please listen to me!"

The man spun around. "Where? Shit, woman! Where?"

"Lady Richester's! She took him captive!" Betrice breathed.

"Come in," the guy said. "HEY!!! I'VE GOT A WITNESS HERE!!!!"

The crowd parted, and they were taken up to Dr. Cain's office, which was kind of dirty. But, hey, if it got her a job… 

The questions began imeditately. "Do you know where X is?"

"Yes. Lady Richester's School for young ladies. She had the school knock him out with bricks."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. I do know that she is a head-collector. And, I've seen a picture with hearts around it of X in her room."

Dr. Cain sighed. "Can you give me a layout of the School?"

She looked at him. "IT'S A SCHOOL!!! GEEZ!" Softly, she added, "He'd be in the dormitories, to the south."

"Okay. God, I'd like some wine now."

Betrice smiled. "Here. I made some." She poured the wine. Dr. Cain drank it.

"Wow, this is good. What do you say that you'll be our cook?"

As soon as Lady Richester passed, Jessica opened the door to X's "cell". If you count realy fluffy beds, 24-hour service, and anything else a cell.

"No, Dammit! I don't want to marry you!"

"Good!" Jessica cried. "Because I don't want to marry you!"

X gaggled as a group of five entered the door. He reconized Eliza. She had a bandage over the head. "Thank God. I thought you were Lady Richester, ready to ask my hand in marriage again."

Sharon laughed. "Like I want to marry you," she muttered.

"Hey! I heard that!"

Eliza wasted no time. She opened a secret passageway. Looking out the window, she announced, "The Mavericks are coming!"

She ran out of the room shouting , "The Mavericks are coming! The Mavericks are coming!" 

The last person to hear was Lady Richester herself. Scrambling up, she stopped Eliza. "What do you mean?"

"I talked to the man in the church, one if by land, two if by sea- no, I saw it out my window. Sigma's leading them."

"Sigma?"

Eliza nodded.

Lady Richester's lips held a small smile. "So we meet again, Siggy."

Eliza raised an eyebrow. "Look, I'm interested in leaving. I want my butt to be Maverick-Free for about oh, say, eighteen miles."

Lady Richester's look grew more stern. "No. I'll show you how to fight a Maverick."

Eliza watched the fancy, prissy lady pull out leather, guns and knives. "Whoa," she said. "For a school teacher, your sense of fashion when fighting kicks butt."

Lady Richester smiled. "Thank you, dear. Here, take one of the guns, no not that one, this. I need the other one for payback." 

X could not help but be annoyed at the path the girls were taking him out.

"Dororthy, I thought you said it was here…"

"No, Jessica, Marica, tell Sharon were it is…"

"But I thought one person was leading…"

X wanted to hit them all. "LET'S GO OUT THE FRONT DOOR!!" he suggested.

"Shh! Do you want the Mavericks to hear?"

"It's hell outside those doors!"

"Girls are getting slautered."

The girls looked at one another. Their fellow classmates were getting killed. "TO THE KITCHENS!!" Maricia shouted. They all turned and ran, dragging a hopelessly confused X beind them.

Kathrine was a good child. She always drank her tea. She always made her bed. So why was this happening to her? Why? 

Sigma wasn't to thrilled about having a five-year-old for a hostage, either. Maybe it carried rabies, maybe it bit-

"OWWWWW!" Sigma received his answer. "Goddamnit, that thing bit me!" He pointed his finger accusingly. 

Kathrine looked up at Sigma. "Lady Richester is going to kill you," she said. 

"Lady Richester? I know her too well." Sigma began laughing. Vile stepped back. When Sigma laughed, he was going to destroy something. 

"You laugh weird."

Sigma looked down at the kid with the eyes of a madman. "SO? What the hell does it mean to you?"

"I hate you!" she cried, hiting Sigma. The hits, however, were just pissing Sigma off. 

"Screw you, kid," he said, raising his lightsaber. 

"Don't!" X's voice mingled with Maricia's, reminding her of a previous episode.

"Come on, X, we gotta save them!"

"Save yourselves. You could get killed.

"Do you think that'll stop us? Let's go!"

_ This small, small, (I lie) section is deticated to the wonderous life previously lived by Lady Richester and Sigma. So it is all in italics. If you can't read it, TOO BAD!! ALSO: I am using Mechadrakes (Which I probibly don't have spelled right), that belong to Red Draco, not me. Thank her creative guineus, not mine. I would also like to thank…(drumroll, please) My teddy bear for always being there for me, even when I'm down. It's better than- whoa, too much personal info there, huh? (No, my teddy bear is in my saftey-vault, cause it's so old)._

_ Cara waited anxiously at MHB. She wasn't a hunter, but she had a fiancee in battle. Other wives and children stood there, anixiously awaiting the return of their heroes._

_ The door opened with steam, and Cara watched and hoped her fiancee was with the survivors. A Chameleon Mechadrake walked past, with seemingly no injuries. Then again, they never did. Chameleons were awesomly good at defense, as well as camouflauge, better than Sting. They were almost impossible to hit. The Mechadrake stopped at looked at her, seeming to gaze at her as if she were a peice of art. She remembered that they also could form any shape whatsoever. How scary. She shrugged it off as it met its partner, a Black Mechdrake and a baby that showed characteristics of the two. Chameleon Mechdrakes were extreamly good at thinking, defense, and long-term choices, and Blacks were awesome fighters that had little capibility to think, and if you crossed them both- who knew? The child would be obivously blessed. _

_ More hunters walked out, as well as her fiancee, Sigma. He grinned as he saw her, and she smiled back; they began to walk to his office. She loved him for a reason she did not know, only she liked his company, and he, in turn enjoyed hers. But what he had trouble with is that he was getting angier at the humans, not Cara. He was always making exceptions, but still he feared he was going out of his mind. _

_ "How did the battle go?" Cara asked, watching his face for signs of emotion that may not have crept into his voice. _

_ He answered truthfully, though he did not wish to tell her. "It did not go well. Most of the humans in the Fifth unit died. The fifth, as you know, are all humans. The Mechdrakes can handle their wounds, they've always done it, I don't know how. They can amaze me, sometimes…" his voice trailed of. "The Maverick population is getting bigger. I wish our scientists would fix the problem, but of course, they slack of with human diseases…"_

_ Cara nodded. She was an interesting human, in his opinion. She realized the danger of all sides, and she had a sharp mind to match. She would have made an excellent Captian, but alas- no, Dr. Cain wouldn't have it. She had seen too much blood. But Cara volunteered any way she could. The refugee camps, she reported, were getting larger. They either needed to expand, or find homes. _

_ The way she said this all did not seem to put the blame on Sigma, rather, Cara seemed to be blaming herself. With her riches, she often gave up money, but she was becoming brok, even though the Hunter Base paid her half the amount she gave away which was still a lot. _

_ Sigma nodded. In his heart, however, he disagreed. Stupid humans! How dare they take up space ment for the Hunters! _

_ But Cara, a little voice inside him said. What about Cara?_

_ Screw Cara, he told it. Instantly, he wished he hadn't. He loved Cara with all his heart, but it would be true love if she were a reploid, like him. Would it not?_

_ They walked in silence. "What happened to your sister?" he asked suddenly. _

_ Cara was taken completely off guard. "She was killed…by a Maverick. Why?"_

_ Sigma walked on. "I'm wondering why you can't be a Hunter," he lied. He wanted to tell her off, but a part of him said no, don't, she's too valuble. She passed by his office and waved. Sigma entered his room and clutched his forehead. Things were getting too bright…_

_ He knew where is path lay, indeed, it lay with the opposite force, with the Mavericks. But how could he tell Cara without breaking her heart…_

_ He began to write. Tears spilling down his face as he did so._

_ When Cara came in the next morning, she found the ring. "To my dearest Cara," she read. _

To my dearest Cara,

While you will ask a million questions as to why, and how, I tell you now- it will never work between us. It breaks my heart to tell you that I am going Maverick, and with my Hunter heart, I want to tell you, my love, that some part of me will always love you. I do not know why, in fact, you're the reason I wanted my scientists to hurry up. The virus has consumed only a large part of me, but my heart will live on, in this box that I'm giving you, the box that contains my good soul, so it will not be corrupted with my bad. Cara, I know that the time is short, feelings inside me say to tear this letter up, but you need to know the truth. I wanted to protect you, as best as I could, so I asked my friend Deciet to watch over you- no, I gave you to him as his possesion, because the possesion's of a Mechadrake are rarely harmed. I fear I will cause you harm by doing this, but I swear, that if at the time you read this, if I were now to be in the same room with you, I would kill you, and I cannot bear to think of it. So guard my good side well, and know that you are my precious, and that I will never stop loving you- as long as you have the box, I will always be with you. 

With much love,

Sigma.

_ And at these words, Cara Richester took the box and letter and cried. _

The present

Marcia attacked Wire Sponge with so much ferocity that he almost lied down and would have screamed, "No! I didn't eat your candied apple Sigma!"

But he realized this was a human, and he blocked her next blow, even though his energy meter was half-way down. (Not too shabby, there, huh?)

Dorothy was rescuing the children through the back passages, and Jessica and Sharon were helping the wounded. When all the children without wounds were safe, the girls took the wounded, then, they ran upstairs to gather what possessions they could. But as they reached the top floor, charred bodies and Smoke greeted them. Sharon was on the verge of tears, that was little Abby she had known. 

Jessica felt her stomach twist into a knot, and also, her heart. She wanted to strike back. No, she vowed. She vowed, and a small worrier-woman unleashed inside her, one that should have never occurred. 

"I HATE MAVERICKS!!!!" she cried, and with bare hands ripped the nearest Maverick (which, I'm afraid, wasn't very bright, and had the worst hit points and armor), apart.

All hell broke loose, and they ran away, except for Sharon, who charged blindly outside.

Eliza watched with huge eyes. "Tug want to be like Madam," she murmured. Lady Richester was very good. She would lure a Maverick close, and then, chop of its head, hoping to add it to her collection.

"Dear Eliza, what's outside?"

"Sigma."

Lady Richester's eyes glazed over. "Let's go."

Sigma was constantly beating on X, who hadn't been in good shape since he had been to the school. He tossed X aside as a rag doll, but X still charged on blindly. Finally, they slapped him in a cage with Marcia, who hadn't shut up. Humans were funny, X thought. Strange.

"SIGGY!!!" A voice cried into the blackness. Sigma looked into a tree. The school was behind it, burning, children jumping our of windows, children running, and finally, they saw three girls who were trapped on the roof with a bunch of kids. 

Sigma recognized the voice. "I HAVE HAD A NICE COLLECTION OF HEADS IN THERE! DO YOU ENJOY THE HEADS, TOO?"

Lady Richester flipped out of the tree, and Eliza by her side. Eliza saw the fire and ran straight into it, Lady Richester could not care. Her battle was with Siggy. 

Eliza ran to Lady Richester's room, fire on her back. Lady Richester had asked that Eliza give her two things: a set of letters, and a box. Eliza found both and grabbed them. When the door was opened, fire spilled out, and she screamed in shock, and backed out to the window. A small voice inside her told her to cry out any God, but she could not move her mouth, except for one word: Chaos.

"Chaos-God!" She screamed, not believing anything was going to happen. "Save us all! We are all going to die! Lady Richester needs this box!" 

Flames enclosed around her.

"Tug not want to die," she cried.

Jessica held onto the side of the building for dear life. The children needed as much space as they could, and she was giving them it. Tears streaked her eyes, knowing she would never see her mother again, knowing that her Grandparents were going to meet her. 

Sharon cried for the children. Some were orphans, some were never going to see their relatives again- hell, they all were going to die. But she needed to be strong. To hell with morals. 

Dorothy and Sharon hugged each other and cried, screamed, and the children too, as the building under them was going down. They couldn't trust their footings, for everything that fell was encased in flame. 

Eliza cried. There was no hope left. She threw the box out the window. "Chaos," she cried. "Chaos. We are encased in Chaos."

Marcia watched as the school burned. She began to cry. No one would be left. Not even her. No one. And as she watched, the fire and smoke stopped. She rubbed her eyes. No fire. The children were safe. 

X watched in shock too. "It has to be Chaos," he muttered. "What did she do?"

Jessica fell, and a person, flying upward caught her, and landing in a separate window.

Lady Richester and Sigma stopped their wordless battle to watch. 

Eliza saw the flames stop, and she wondered if she was dead. As a person flew into her window, she felt she was dead. "Are you death-god?"

Chaos shook her head. "No, Tug. I'm Chaos-God. We share the same creator. I take special care of my sisters. You are needed somewhere else, but still," she held out the box, and Jessica had fainted. 

Eliza took it and grinned. "Tug go," she replied, jumping down the new hole. Chaos woke up Jessica. 

"AHHH! YOU are the grim reaper! I wanna play you a game of chess!" Jessica demanded.

Chaos shook her head. "The dead are now alive. You won't believe the price I had to pay for them, but the Mavericks kinda suffered a big blow. You need to tell your friends."

Chaos disappeared. Jessica scratched her head. She was alive.

Lady Richester watched as nothing happened. Sigma, well Sigma was pissed off, and their battle continued. 

Sigma had been wise in realizing that she had, indeed a sharp mind. Her Beam Saber met his at the best pressure points for a human's strength and defense. 

Eliza ran out, seeing Lady Richester was tiring, and she was crying. "Lady Richester! I have your box!"

Sigma slashed Lady Richester's left wrist. It was now only a matter of time until she died, and he did not strike against her.

She looked at her gaping wound. "Indeed," she said. "This, Siggy, is the same box you gave me- the same one and with two letters, one yours, one mine."

Sigma took it from Eliza, and she backed into Chill Penguin, who instantly held her in place. 

Sigma did not look teary-eyed, nor did his eyes glaze over, and Lady Richester had excepted it. "You never cared, Siggy," she said softly. "You never did." She fell face forward into the ground, with her left wrist outstretched. Blood still poured onto the ground. On her ring finger, she wore a golden ring- the one Sigma had bought her a long time ago. Whether she had loved X, or truly loved Sigma was a secret that she had taken to the grave. 

Eliza saw something flicker in Sigma's eyes, something she had seen in Lady Richester's. Regret. Now, she looked at his posture, and where his face didn't show it, it was in his shoulders. The box was never opened, but she had the feeling nothing was in it.

Marcia would have said something at this point, but she fell silent in respect for her Madam, even though she hated her. 

Jessica walked over to the kids. "We're alive! Let's go get a case of beer."

Sharon turned to her. "Lady Richester is dead. I saw it."

Dorothy nodded. "She would want us to start wrecking havoc on the Mavericks…"

The children, and the girls' eyes lit up dangerously, with a lust for blood that is at the tip of the human instinct, which few humans ever had access for years.

They ran outside in a comical sight. "I am going to kill you all!"

"Good for you!" One Maverick cried back. 

The children ran over the Mavericks, forcing them to flee… and into the Hunters that were racing down the road. As the Hunters turned into the School, shock filled them. Kids were beating up the Mavericks. As Zero put it, "Now I've seen everything."

The outcome was interesting. No one was dead but the Mavericks, and X had a sneaky feeling that Chaos was behind it. 

The girls were waiting for their parents to pick them up. However, our lucky five didn't have parents close by. They had to wait a day. Katherine waved goodbye and the last person was put onto a car and headed for a hospital. Apparently, Katherine's parents didn't approve of their child being held hostage with Sigma. 

Dorothy turned back to the school, along with the other five. "Where's Madam's grave?" She asked.

Sharon answered for her. "It's supposed to be by the riverside."

Eliza's eyes were numb.

"What's wrong, Tug?" Marcia asked. 

"Tug no have parents. Tug need a place to live. Tug have no purpose in life."

She walked off, and the girls helped the Hunters and Rescue Workers pick up debris.

Eliza ran into Chaos. "You are supposed to be in a different time," Chaos explained. "In the future. So, is it okay if I give you a memory dump on what's to happen, and you transport there?"

Eliza nodded, and there was a pop! And she wasn't head from until fifteen years later. (She didn't age, folks.)

Sigma stood over Lady Richester's grave and opened the box. Inside was a little scrap of metal, forged into the shape of a heart. It had the words, I love you, written on it. He flipped it over, and he read the words that put tears into his eyes. I love you, too.

And the mighty Sigma began to cry.__


End file.
